Samantha was raised in a Catholic family, along with two younger brothers. Although raised Catholic,
Samantha admits that she didn’t fully understand the sacraments or the fullness of the faith until much
later in life.

“During my college years I went through a period of questioning my faith and where I belonged. Looking
back now, I realize the Lord was leaning in and guiding me with the people and circumstances that He
continued to put in front of me,” considers Samantha.

However, it was a simple novena book, a gift from her mother, that started the journey back home to the Catholic Church. This small gift provided stories of saints and the obstacles they overcame. This inspired Samantha, and she began learning more about the faith she had been raised in. Samantha moved to Chicago where she joined a vibrant church, St. Clement, and met her husband, Vince. Then a couple of moves later to Lawrence, Kansas, where Samantha, Vince, and 7 children (Sadie, Eli, Joseph, Annalise, Evelyn, Abraham, and Juliana) now live. 

“I cannot believe how the Lord has orchestrated this beautiful story and has placed the right people at the right time with the right message in my path to lead me to Him, to lead me to truth.”

Samantha first experienced the transformational power of Walking with Purpose after doing Opening
Your Heart with a friend who lived in another state. She had wanted to find a way of learning Scripture and cultivating a daily habit of prayer. That is exactly what she found and so much more!

She joined the WWP national team in 2020. Samantha’s role as Director of Ministry Growth and Strategy supports the ministry in accelerating the transformation of opportunities to create growth. Together with the CEO and an incredibly supportive team, Samantha’s goal of identifying growth opportunities and building strategies to bring more women closer to Christ is a critical part of the WWP mission.

For the future of WWP, Samantha sees unlimited opportunities to share the Bible with women. She desires to reach the hearts of women and to help them encounter all of the mercy, love, and grace that Christ is waiting to give.

“I believe women today have a strong desire to grow in truth, authentic relationships, and for their hearts to be truly touched. Walking with Purpose provides them with all the desires of their hearts.”

Tierney was born into a Protestant family. When she was about seven years old, her parents had a calling for conversion into the Catholic faith. “I was raised in the Church, studied theology, and my life has been a steady walk with the Lord,” mentioned Tierney. Prior to joining Walking with Purpose, she worked mostly at for-profit organizations, mainly in insurance and operations. It was when her sister-in-law spoke with her about Walking with Purpose that Tierney was prompted to bring together her faith and work experience.

In 2017, Tierney joined the organization as an administrator, the same year she participated in her first WWP Bible study. “The Opening Your Heart Bible study was life changing for me. My small group had women from all walks of life and I learned different perspectives in areas that I could never have imagined. There is something new and life-giving for everyone,” she said. Since then, Tierney’s role has evolved with the automation of systems and implementation of Salesforce to help the organization become more streamlined.

Currently, Tierney manages accounts payable, accounts receivable, handles the financial aspect of donor relations and oversees the day to day transactional duties. “I love working behind the scenes. The people I work with make this environment incredibly special, as each employee brings into their work both their heart and their desire to see Jesus Christ touch women across the United States through Scripture. This transforms our work from operational to being the hands and feet of Christ,” she says. She believes Walking with Purpose will continue to grow. As she describes it, “In the time I’ve been here, the ministry has grown exponentially. The fact that we continue to seek where the Lord is directing us makes me trust that we are headed, down the right path.”

Having three young children at home aligns her work at WWP with her family’s plans. “Here, I am a whole person. The work demands a lot from us, and we have high expectations, but they respect my boundaries. Hearing from our Founder that outside of my working hours I should have my computer closed and pour into my vocation as a wife and mother is a powerful message about our work culture. We serve the Lord and each other best when He and our family are first,” says Tierney.

Laura was raised in a Methodist family and converted to Catholicism in college. After attending a Sunday Mass at a Catholic Church, she was truly impacted by the presence and sense of worship. “Why would I go anywhere else? This is His Church; it comes directly from the hands of Jesus," Laura mentioned. Her journey with Walking with Purpose began when her family had moved to a new state, and she gave birth to her second child. Her parish was starting their first Walking with Purpose Bible study, and her husband encouraged her to participate. “I was in the weeds of motherhood, no self-care, and the fact that when I arrived on my first day everyone knew my name and had a seat waiting for me, reached my heart in an incredibly deep way. Everything was very personal. They saw me in a time of my life that I felt unseen,” says Laura.

Laura joined the WWP National team in 2012, in the early days of our ministry, right after serving as a volunteer small group leader and parish program coordinator. She started her work in expansion, and soon after became a regional area coordinator. “As a regional area coordinator, I walk alongside women running a WWP parish program. I help by mentoring them and being there to support them in whatever they need in terms of running the program in their parish,” she tells. On top of that, Laura also contributes to the social media team and hosts virtual events called "The Art of Creating Community" that help women to discern starting a WWP program in their parish. “My favorite part of my work is creating relationships with servant leaders. These beautiful women fill my heart, and I pray for each of them."

After four children, Laura tells us about her perception of the ministry’s work life balance. “This is an organization of people who understand priorities and family. We strive for excellence in our work, but our priority is to live full lives that glorify the Lord. These are priorities that are encouraged and modeled from the top down.”

For the future, Laura believes Walking with Purpose is ready to reach the hearts of all women in the US, equipping them to develop a closer relationship with Christ. She says that her joy in her work is that “in my everyday job we are serving the Lord. We are building God's Kingdom here on earth and changing lives.”